The Rubin Museum Is Crowdfunding to Expand Its Shrine Room

On September 1, the Rubin Museum in New York will launch a “Find Your Focus” crowdfunding campaign to raise money to relocate and expand its popular Tibetan Shrine Room, the AP reports. The shrine room, which is currently part of the museum’s “Gateway to Himalayan Art” exhibition, is set to double in size under the expansion plan, providing more seating and a more contemplative environment. It will be rebuilt on the fourth floor of the museum, where it will be featured in the museum’s upcoming “Sacred Spaces” exhibition.

That exhibition will open on October 23 and focus on “devotional activities in awe-inspiring places.” Until October 23, supporters can contribute to the campaign via the online advocacy tool, Razoo, to help the museum finance construction.

According the website, the Shrine room allows visitors to “step inside and feel surrounded by scroll paintings, sculptures, flickering butter lamps, the scent of incense, and the sound of Buddhist chanting, all to help them imagine the experience of standing inside the shrine room of a traditional Himalayan home.”

With proceeds from its crowdfunding efforts, the museum plans to install a moveable glass that will “allow the entire floor to become an extension of the installation.” It also announced that, in the larger space, it plans to host musicians, conversation series, and “[activate] the space in surprising ways.”